Urine and saliva tests are very useful for providing information about the bodies hormonal or nutritional balance or dysbalance and to assist in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of a wide range of diseases. In addition, a urine test can determine whether or not a woman is ovulating or pregnant. Urine and saliva can also be tested for a variety of substances relating to drug abuse, both as part of rehabilitation programmes and in the world of professional sport. The urine and saliva can be tested very quickly using a strip of special paper, which is dipped in the urine just after urination or wet with saliva. This is because any abnormally elevated or low levels of hormones or nutritients and their respective metabolites or drugs and their respective metabolites in the urine or saliva such as neurotransmitters, hormones or amino acids will be observable.
By means of an analysis of a urine or saliva sample at a laboratory, i.e. a urine or saliva test, it is possible to discover diseases or dysfunctions of many different organs of the body. It may represent the only necessary investigation if, for instance, the purpose is to find out if a patient suffers from cystitis. In other cases it will be taken along with other tests (such as stool or blood tests) as part of the investigation process. A urine or saliva test is a cheap, simple test that can provide a lot of important information, for example: blood in the urine may be a sign of different diseases in the kidneys, the urinary system or the bladder; sugar in the urine may be a sign of diabetes; protein in the urine may be a sign of a kidney disease and can be used to detect the early signs of kidney damage from long-standing diabetes; biochemical analysis of the urine can assist in the diagnosis of kidney stones, myeloma and porphyria. High Cortisol levels in saliva may be a sign for permanent stress and high Histamine levels may indicate parodontitis.
Usually a person, who wants to do have a urine or saliva test made, visits a doctor or a clinic where a sample of urine or saliva is taken by means of a sterile sample container. After the sample container has been filled with a sufficient amount of urine or saliva, the sample container is sealed and brought to a laboratory for analysis. Thus, the conventional process of having a urine or saliva test made is time consuming and cumbersome in that it is necessary for a patient to visit a doctor or a clinic. Although it is also possible to take a urine or saliva sample at home, the filled sample container still has to be supplied to a laboratory so that this alternative is no less cumbersome. In addition, precautions need to be taken to avoid decomposition of sensitive hormones during the transport to the laboratory, especially if ambient temperature is high, i.e. in summer, or if the transport time is critical.
Consequently, the object of the present invention is to provide a device and a kit for collecting body fluids that allow for an easy to use, comfortable and clean urine or saliva test to be made.